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IEOUA (allegorical self-portrait)

See below for Childhood works, older works, studies etc. For the more recent studies see pages 2, 3

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Here is my latest self portrait, which I finally scraped together enough cash to get scanned. Hopefully it will land me a sweet spot in Hades. I tried to set it up in the "Self Portraits" sub-forum, but I had trouble attaching the image. Is that the sort of thing that's reserved for paying members? I managed to attach one in the master's copy thread yesterday, so I just figured I was good to go. Anyhow hope this works...

I dont get most of the symbolism, but this is very very well handled, i like the subtlety of modeling used throughout...haha, judging from where your hand is you seem to be a guy who knows how to have a good time!

Thanks for the encouragement and the kind words guys. Good to see that we got a Mephisto on board with this thing too.
The more I hang around this place the more its really starting to feel like home. I'm still having trouble viewing personal galleries, but I've been exploring some of the other forum topics around here, and I have to say that everything I've come across is inspiring. I was particularly impressed by your progress threads Panchosimpson; which are a healthy reminder that I'm not drawing nearly as much (or as often) as I should be. Of course, its easy to get distracted where I live... which, as I just noticed, is also the place where you live 8) (ready for Comic Con?)

I dont get most of the symbolism....

Well I usually don't give up the ghost unless I'm asked, but I suppose I could mention just a few items of interest.

I'm wearing one of DaVinci's anatomical studies as a crown/tiara.
The Pentalpha opposite my hand, is a holy seal (inverted).
I enjoy star maps, and Gustave Dore
My muse is a dancer
My birthsign is Taurus, and I keep the bulls oldschool.
I still remember Schongauer.
I'm a legs man - Thanks Gil.
This is all just practice, so don't judge it too harshly.
Panta Rhei, and don't forget about the trees.

That's enough to get started at least

I'm glad you guys like it. Truth be told this one took me a little longer to complete than it should have. I drew the border sections and the portals ages ago, but then set it aside for a year to work on other things. There are still several areas where my technique needs impovement, but I think I'm finally starting to get comfortable going a bit darker. Sometimes the medium can present problems for me (especially if I work it too long) because I get so caught up in the detail work. I think if I was born in another century I probably would have prefered to work in miniature, so its easy to get carried away, and even easier to start smudging things about. Lately I've been trying to practice more restraint in this area; blocking out larger sections beforehand, and trying to increase the scale somewhat, so that the detail stuff isn't too ubiquitous. I'm also still more reliant on visual aids, reference and books than I'd like to be... but I learn something new every time I make the attempt, so hopefully I'll get my head around things eventually.

If anyone is interested, I also attached some examples of my other drawings below (begining with the more recent stuff) to give you a sense of the progression over time.

Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes: study for right panel The Night Mare

Leucothea

Unlimited Lou

Imperium Mentis II

Empire of Mind

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"Ah but that's just it. If you don't think, then you shouldn't talk..."
-The Mad March Hare

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WOW. these are really great, the level of detail is insane! I especially like the visual puzzles you include, like the turban/ribcage that man is wearing on his head, I hope you keep posting, your drawings have beautiful aesthetic qualities.

The Following User Says Thank You to Grin Without a Cat For This Useful Post:

147
Art as necromancer. – Among the subsidiary duties of art is that of conserving, and no doubt also of taking extinguished, faded ideas and restoring them a little color: when it performs this task it winds a band around different ages and makes the spirits that inform them return. It is only a phantom of life that here arises, to be sure, such as appears about graves or like the return of the beloved dead in dreams; but the old emotions are again aroused , if only for a few moments, and the heart beats to a rhythm it had forgotten. On account of this useful function of art one must overlook it in the artist himself if he does not stand in the foremost ranks of the Enlightenment and progressive masculinization of man: he has remained a child or a youth all his life, stuck at the point at which he was first assailed by his drive to artistic production; feelings belonging to the first stages of life are, however, admitted to be closer to those of earlier times than to those of the present century. Without knowing it, his task becomes that of making mankind childlike. This is his glory and his limitation.

159
Art dangerous to the artist. – When art seizes violently upon an individual it draws him back to the conceptions of those ages in which art flourished most mightily, and then it effects a retrogression in him. The artist acquires increasing reverence for sudden excitations, believes in gods and demons, instills a soul into nature, hates the sciences, becomes changeable of mood as were the men of antiquity and longs for an overthrowing of everything unfavorable to art, and this he does with all the excitement and vehemence of a child. The artist is in himself already a retarded being, inasmuch as he has halted at games that pertain to childhood: to this there is now added his gradual retrogression to earlier times. Thus there at last arises a violent antagonism between him and the men of his period, of his own age, and his end is gloomy; just as, according to the tales told in antiquity, Homer and Aeschylus at last lived and died in melancholia.

Understanding the history of a word helps us to use it in a more nuanced and technical way. Its also just interesting to see how ideas and terms can undergo subtle changes over time. To that end, I thought I'd start collecting some relevant etymologies and post them here for others to check out. Maybe it will also help those for whom English is a second language.

For a contemporary glossary of 'specific' visual arts terms, you'll probably find what you're looking for at a site more like this: http://www.ndoylefineart.com/glossary.html. What follows here is instead a more general exploration of word histories. Feel free to contribute any others you come across, and I'll edit them into the main listing. Most of these are taken from the online etymology resource at: http://www.etymonline.com/, (which can be a bit unweildy at times), but I'll update them with some more comprehensive definitions once I have a little free time to transcribe the stuff on the bookshelf.

Part 1

Abstract
1387, from L. abstractus "drawn away," pp. of abstrahere, from ab(s)- "away" + trahere "draw" (see tract). Meaning "withdrawn or separated from material objects or practical matters" is from 1557; specifically in ref. to the arts, it dates from 1915. Abstract expressionism from 1952

Aesthetic
1798, from German ästhetisch or French esthétique, both from Greek aisthetikos "sensitive," from aisthanesthai "to perceive, to feel," from Proto Indo European *awis-dh-yo-, from base *au- "to perceive." Popularized in English by translation of Immanuel Kant, and used originally in the classically correct sense "the science which treats of the conditions of sensuous perception." Kant had tried to correct the term after Baumgarten had taken it in German to mean "criticism of taste" (1750s), but Baumgarten's sense attained popularity in English. c.1830s (despite scholarly resistance) and removed the word from any philosophical base. Walter Pater used it (1868 ) to describe the late 19c. movement that advocated "art for art's sake," which further blurred the sense. The noun Aesthete is first recorded 1881.

Art
c.1225, "skill as a result of learning or practice," from O.Fr. art, from Latin artem, (nom. ars) "art, skill, craft," from Proto Indo-European (PIE) *ar-ti- (cf. Sanskrit. rtih "manner, mode;" Greek arti "just," artios "complete;" Armenian arnam "make," German art "manner, mode"), from base *ar- "fit together, join" (see arm (1)). In Middle English usually with sense of "skill in scholarship and learning" (c.1305), especially in the seven sciences, or liberal arts (divided into the trivium -- grammar, logic, rhetoric -- and the quadrivium --arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy). This sense remains in Bachelor of Arts, etc. Meaning "human workmanship" (as opposed to nature) is from 1386. Sense of "cunning and trickery" first attested c.1600. Meaning "skill in creative arts" is first recorded 1620; esp. of painting, sculpture, etc., from 1668. Broader sense of the word remains in artless (1589). As an adj. meaning "produced with conscious artistry" (as opposed to popular or folk) it is attested from 1890, possibly from infl. of Ger. kunstlied "art song" (cf. art film, 1960; art rock, c.1970). Fine arts, "those which appeal to the mind and the imagination" first recorded 1767. Art brut "art done by prisoners, lunatics, etc.," is 1955, from Fr., lit. "raw art." Artsy "pretentiously artistic" is from 1902.

Artist
1581, "one who cultivates one of the fine arts," from M. French artiste, from Italian artista, from Medieval Latin artista, from Latin ars (see art). Originally used especially of the arts presided over by the Muses (history, poetry, comedy, tragedy, music, dancing, astronomy), but also used 17c. for "one skilled in any art or craft" (including professors, surgeons, craftsmen, cooks). Now especially of "one who practices the arts of design or visual arts" (a sense first attested 1747). Artistic first recorded 1753; artistry 1868. Fr. artiste, a reborrowing of artist after the sense of artist had become limited toward the visual arts and especially painting

Beauty
c.1275, from Anglo-Norm. beute, from Old French bealte, earlier beltet, from Vulgar Latin bellitatem "state of being handsome," from Latin bellus "fine, beautiful," in classical L. used especially of women and children, or ironically or insultingly of men. Famously defined by Stendhal as la promesse de bonheur "the promise of happiness." Replaced Old English wlite.

Craft
O.E. cræft "power, strength, might," from P.Gmc. *krab-/*kraf-. Sense shifted to "skill, art" (via a notion of "mental power"), which led to the n. meaning of "trade." Use for "small boat" is first recorded 1671, probably from some nautical sense of "vessels of small craft," referring either to the trade they did or the seamanship they required.

Create(v)
c.1386, from L. creatus, pp. of creare "to make, produce," related to crescere "arise, grow" (see crescent). Creator for "Supreme Being" (c.1300) drove out native scieppend, from verb scieppan (see shape). Creative is from 1678, originally literal; of the arts, meaning "imaginative," from 1816, first attested in Wordsworth. Creative writing is from 1907. The native word for creation in the Biblical sense was O.E. frum-sceaft.

Draw
O.E. dragan "to drag, to draw" (class VI strong verb; past tense drog, pp. dragen), from P.Gmc. *draganan "carry," from PIE base *dhragh- (see drag). Sense of "make a line or figure" (by "drawing" a pencil across paper) is c.1200. Meaning "pull out a weapon" is c.1200. Colloquial n. sense of "anything that can draw a crowd" is from 1881 (the verb in this sense is 1586).

Design
1548, from L. designare "mark out, devise," from de- "out" + signare "to mark," from signum "a mark, sign." Originally in Eng. with the meaning now attached to designate (1646, from L. designatus, pp. of designare); many modern uses of design are metaphoric extensions.

Draft
c.1500, spelling variant of draught (q.v.) to reflect change in pronunciation. Meaning "rough copy of a writing" (something "drawn") is attested from 14c.; that of "preliminary sketch from which a final copy is made" is from 1528. The meaning "to draw off a group for special duty" is from 1703, in U.S. especially of military service

Draught
c.1205, from O.E. *dreaht, *[i]dræht[i], related to dragan "to draw, drag" (see drag). Oldest sense besides that of "pulling" is of "drinking;" meaning "current of air" ("drawn" through an opening) is 18c. It retains the functions that did not branch off with draft.

Fine (adj)
c.1300, from O.Fr. fin "perfected, of highest quality," from L. finis "end, limit," hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." In Fr., the main meaning remains "delicate, intricately skillful;" in Eng. since c.1440 fine is also a general expression of admiration or approval, the equiv. of Fr. beau (cf. fine arts, 1767, translating Fr. beaux-arts). Finery "gaudy decoration" is first attested 1680. Fine print "qualifications and limitations of a deal" first recorded 1960. Fine-tune (v.) is 1969, a back-formation from fine-tuning (1924), originally in reference to radio receivers.

Form
c.1225, from O.Fr. forme, from L. forma "form, mold, shape, case," origin unknown. One theory holds that it is from Gk. morphe "form, beauty, outward appearance" (see morphine) via Etruscan. Sense of "behavior" is first recorded c.1386. The verb is attested from 1297.

Gallery
1500, from M.Fr. galerie "a long portico," from M.L. galeria, of uncertain origin, perhaps alteration of galilea "church porch," which is probably from L. Galilaea "Galilee," the northernmost region of Palestine; church porches sometimes were so called from being at the far end of the church. Sense of "building to house art" first recorded 1591

Graphic
1610, "traced" (implied in graphical), from L. graphicus "picturesque," from Gk. graphikos "of or for writing, belonging to drawing, picturesque," from graphe "writing, drawing," from graphein "write," originally "to scratch" on clay tablets with a stylus. Meaning "of or pertaining to drawing" is from 1756; that of "vivid" is from 1669, on the notion of words that produce the effect of a picture.

Grotesque
1561, originally a noun, from M.Fr. crotesque, from It. grottesco, lit. "of a cave," from grotta (see grotto). Used first of paintings found on the walls of basements of Roman ruins, characterized by fanciful or odd representations of animal or human forms (It. pittura grottesca). Originally "fanciful, fantastic," later "bizarre." Then sense became pejorative after mid-18c.

Hobby
1298, "small horse, pony," later "mock horse used in the morris dance," and c.1550 "child's toy riding horse," which led to a transferred sense of "favorite pastime or avocation," first recorded 1676. The connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere." Probably originally a proper name for a horse (cf. dobbin), a dim. of Robert or Robin.

Image
c.1225, "artificial representation that looks like a person or thing," from O.Fr. image, earlier imagene (11c.), from L. imaginem (nom. imago) "copy, statue, picture, idea, appearance," from stem of imitari "to copy" (see imitate). Meaning "reflection in a mirror" is c.1315. The mental sense was in L., and appears in Eng.

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In addition to posting any new works that I complete, I’ll try to start digging through my old folders and scan in any material that might be instructive or interesting. Since I can't seem to view the images in my personal gallery, I think I'll just set up shop in this thread. I have three peices that should be finished very soon, but in the meantime here are some past experiments with different processes and mediums. I'm also pretty sure I have a box in the rafters with more material from when I was younger... so I'll do some exploring and see if I can find anything worth posting

-Life Drawing: Some sketch work and studies of a gal who used to serve me coffee. Started out with ballpoint on college rule, then followed up with some polishing work on that grimy recycled business, which eventually yielded me:
-Diverted Gaze, and Desert Barista (Pencil on Bristol, 9”x12”)

Line
from O.E. line "rope, row of letters," and from O.Fr. ligne, both from L. linea "linen thread, string, line," from phrase linea restis "linen cord," from fem. of lineus (adj.) "of linen," from linum "linen". Oldest sense is "rope, cord, string;" extended 1382 to "a thread-like mark" (from sense "cord used by builders for making things level," 1340), also "track, course, direction." Sense of "things or people arranged in a straight line" is from 1557. That of "cord bearing hooks used in fishing" is from c.1300. Meaning "one's occupation, branch of business" is from 1638, probably from misunderstood KJV translation of 2 Cor. x.16, "And not to boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hand," where line translates Gk. kanon, lit. "measuring rod."

Master (n)
O.E. mægester "one having control or authority," from L. magister "chief, head, director, teacher" (cf. O.Fr. maistre, Fr. maître, It. maestro, Ger. Meister), infl. in M.E. by O.Fr. maistre, from L. magister, contrastive adj. from magis (adv.) "more," itself a comp. of magnus "great." In academic senses (from M.L. magister) it is attested from 1380s, originally a degree conveying authority to teach in the universities. The verb is attested from c.1225. Masterpiece is from 1605, a translation of Du. meesterstuk "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master" (cf. Ger. Meisterstück).

Model (n)
1575, "architect's set of designs," from M.Fr. modelle (Fr. modèle), from It. modello "a model, mold," from V.L. *modellus, dim. of L. modulus "measure, standard," dim. of modus "manner, measure" (see mode (1)). Sense of "thing or person to be imitated" is 1639. Sense of "artist's model" is first recorded 1691; that of "fashion model" is from 1904. The verb is 1665 in the sense of "fashion in clay or wax;" 1915 in the sense "to act as a model, to display (clothes)." The adj. is 1844, from the noun.

Original
1315, from L. originalis, from originem (nom. origo) "beginning, source, birth," from oriri "to rise" (see orchestra). The first ref. is in original sin "innate depravity of man's nature," supposed to be inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall. The noun, in sense of "original text," is attested from c.1385, from M.L. originale. Of photographs, films, sound recordings, etc., from 1918. Origin first recorded 1563. Originality is first attested 1742, probably after Fr. originalité.

Paint
c.1225 (implied in painting "result of applying paint"), from O.Fr. peinter, from peint, pp. of peindre "to paint," from L. pingere "to paint," from PIE base *pik-/*pig- "cut." Sense evolution between PIE and L. was, presumably, from "decorate with cut marks" to "decorate" to "decorate with color." Cf. Skt. pingah "reddish," pesalah "adorned, decorated, lovely," pimsati "hews out, cuts, carves, adorns;" O.C.S. pegu "variegated;" Gk. poikilos "variegated;" O.H.G. fehjan "to adorn;" O.C.S. pisati, Lith. piesiu "to write." Probably representing the "cutting" branch of the family are O.E. feol (see file (n.)); O.C.S. pila "file, saw," Lith. pela "file." The noun is from 1602. The verb meaning "to color with paint" (c.1250) is earlier than the artistic sense of "to make a picture of" (c.1290) and older than painting in the sense of "an artist's picture in paint" (c.1388 ); but painter is older in the sense of "artist who paints pictures" (1340) than in the sense of "workman who colors surfaces with paint" (c.1400); from O.Fr. peintour, from L. pictor, from pingere. As a surname, it is attested from 1240, but impossible to say which sense is meant. To paint the town (red) "go on a spree" first recorded 1884; to paint (someone or something) black "represent it as wicked or evil" is from 1596. Adj. paint-by-numbers "simple" is attested by 1970.

Perspective
c.1380, "science of optics," from O.Fr. perspective, from M.L. perspectiva ars "science of optics," from fem. of perspectivus "of sight, optical" from L. perspectus, pp. of perspicere "inspect, look through," from per- "through" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)). Sense of "art of drawing objects so as to give appearance of distance or depth" is first found 1598, influenced by It. prospettiva, an artists' term. The fig. meaning "mental outlook over time" is first recorded 1762.

Picture
c.1420, from L. pictura "painting," from pictus, pp. of pingere "to make pictures, to paint, to embroider," (see paint). The verb, in the mental sense, is from 1738; pictures "movies," short for moving pictures, is from 1912. Picture post-card first recorded 1899. Phrase every picture tells a story first attested 1906, in an advertisement for kidney pills; a picture is worth a thousand words (1921).

Shape (n.)
O.E. gesceap "creation, form, destiny," from root of shape (v). Meaning "contours of the body" is attested from c.1393. Meaning "condition, state" is first recorded 1865, Amer.Eng. In M.E., the word also had a sense of "a woman's private parts." Shapely "well-formed" is recorded from 1382.

(v.)
O.E. scapan, pp. of scieppan "to create, form, destine," from P.Gmc. *skapjanan "create, ordain" (cf. O.N. skapa, Dan. skabe, O.Fris. skeppa, O.H.G. scaffan, Ger. schaffen), from PIE base *(s)kep- "to cut, to scrape, to hack" (see shave), which acquired broad technical senses and in Gmc. a specific sense of "to create." O.E. scieppan survived into M.E. as shippen, but shape emerged as a regular verb (with pt. shaped) by 1500s. The old past participle form shapen survives in misshapen. Phrase Shape up (v.) is attested from 1865 as "progress;" from 1938 as "reform;" shape up or ship out is attested from 1956, originally U.S. military slang, with the sense being "do right or get shipped up to active duty."

Signature
from M.Fr. signature (16c.), from M.L. signatura "sign," in classical L. "the matrix of a seal," from signatus, pp. of signare "to mark, sign" (see sign). Meaning "one's own name written in one's own hand" is from 1580, replacing sign-manual (1428 ) in this sense.

Sketch
"rough drawing intended to serve as the bases for a finished picture," 1668, from Du. schets, from It. schizzo "sketch, drawing," lit. "a splash, squirt," from schizzare "to splash or squirt," of uncertain origin, perhaps from L. schedium "an extemporaneous poem," from Gk. skedios "temporary, extemporaneous," related to skhein, aor. inf. of ekhein "to have" (see scheme). Ger. Skizze, Fr. esquisse, Sp. esquicio are from Italian. The verb is attested from 1694. Extended sense of "brief account" is from 1668; meaning "short play or performance, usually comic" is from 1789. Sketchy first recorded 1805.

Style
c.1300, stile, "designation, title, manner or mode of expression," from O.Fr. estile "a stake, pale," from L. stilus "stake, instrument for writing, manner of writing, mode of expression," from PIE *sti-lo-, from base *sti- "point, prick, pierce" (see stick (v.)). Spelling modified by influence of Gk. stylos "pillar." Meaning "mode or fashion of life" is from 1770; that of "mode of dress" is from 1814. Stylish is first recorded 1797 in "Sense and Sensibility" (the adj. good is understood); and stylize is 1898, from Ger. Stilisieren.

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the funeral. I've been to a couple of them myself, and I know what you mean about that weird feeling afterward.

Your facility with drawing is really outstanding, and I hope you achieve your goal of producing one of those iconic works in painting. Color does add a whole 'nother dimension to things.

You mentioned watercolor, which is of course a beatuiful medium. It is a difficult one to control though, and doesn't lend itself very well to fine detail work. However, have you ever considered using oils perhaps in a similar way to how Durer worked?
It is my understanding that he would begin with a detailed pen and ink drawing on his prepared painting panel. Then he would apply just thin glazes of oil colors over the drawing, never really using any opaque colors at all except for perhaps a few highlights. This let the detail and beauty of the drawing really shine through in the finished work, with the multiple glazes giving the painting a jewel-like shine and inner glow.
Just a thought anyway.

It was great seeing those old sketches of yours. I hope this thread continues for a long time. I am finding it to be quite a learning experience.

Thanks man
Sorry I haven't been by for a few days, but Comic Con was maddness this weekend. I've been bouncing around convention halls and trolley stations like a pinball, and have only just now got my wits about me. (I swear this thing just gets bigger and more crowded every year.) Good times though... This year I got to see Brom, the Frouds, and Justin Sweet, along with a whole host of other characters who I admire a great deal. Fortunately I was able to get out before I spent too much money, but I can't resist all those cool prints. Of course, as fate would have it, my girlfriend now has two friends in town visiting, so my house is still a bustle with activity (and my makeshift living-room/studio has been entirely overrun with clothes and makeup bags.) I might have to retreat to a coffee shop if I want to get any drawing done this week.

The suggestion about Oil painting sounds very interesting, I should probably go that route over watercolor (I wonder, using a technique like that, do you think I could get away with painting directly on reproductions of my drawings?) I have almost no experience working with paint, so I’m sure most of my ideas about the process are probably ill informed. I did take an intro to drawing class in high school, and a half a semester of litho in college, but I didn’t really vibe with my instructors (who both seemed rather disenfranchised with the teaching process.) I think I also tend to work better at 3:00 am on the floor of my apartment, than I could in a traditional classroom, so this place is ideal for me. Most of what I know right now comes from studying the works of others, with a healthy dose of blind experimentation... so I’m sort of just fumbling around in the dark with most of this. I’m sure I still have a great deal to learn, but I really do love the atmosphere of CA, so hopefully I can pick up a few tricks while I’m hanging around.

On the Threshold

Last edited by Jasonwclark; October 21st, 2010 at 04:15 AM.
Reason: save

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Welcome back from the convention! It sounds like it was quite a treat.

On the oil painting issue, I don't think you could work directly on a paper reproduction. It would be too absorbant and flexible. Oil paint, if it is going to have any longevity at all needs a support that is fairly rigid and sealed from moisture.
There are endless debates on the best supports to use for oil painting. Some people like stretched canvas or linen primed with traditional or even acrylic gesso (the purists are going to crucify me for that last one, but hey, lots of people do it ). Some people like to paint on wood panels or masonite, and some swear by the use of copper plates. Everyone finds their favorite, usually through experimentation.
As for the process itself, I would suggest first tracing the drawing onto a piece of tracing paper. On the back of that paper, rub charcoal. Then, tape the tracing paper charcoal side down in place on your prepared painting surface and trace over the lines with a pointed tool, like a dry ball-point pen for example. This will cause the charcoal to adhere to the painting surface and you can complete the transfer by going over the charcoal drawing in ink. At this point, you can begin the actual painting process.

As for the water problem, I don't know of any tutorials on this matter, but looking at what you have in those drawings so far, I think you are off to a good start. Water looks like it is moving when there is turbulance. When there isn't any, even quickly flowing water is just going to be clear (albeit highly refractive and partially reflective). So I think putting lots of rocks, twigs, etc. in the stream will be the way to go so that you can draw in the turbulance patterns around them . I don't think I am telling you anything here you don't already know, as I see those elements already in the drawing. Just continue it down the page and around the ankles, making sure to really distort the reflection of the legs in the turbulance.

Oh, and BTW, awsome drawings again! I really enjoy how much detail you put into the environments.

Progress goes slow as expected, but I did catch a few minutes today to work on things. My house guests just returned, but at least I got to put in the basic current ripples before setting it aside for the night. I still need to fine tune the area by the feet/ankles, but I think once I bring the reeds down to the waterline it should start to fill in a bit nicer. Of course, any suggestions before I lay down more graphite would be most appreciated.

Looking good on that update, but I do have one suggestion before you take it farther if I may...
The ripples look good, but because they are dominated by a horizontal line pattern, it is looking more like still water. If the stream is flowing down toward the bottom of the page, the turbulance patterns should be dominated by lines moving parallel to the direction of the flow, which in this case is more of a vertical direction with some slight diagonals. Just imagine bent tubes of water bundled together, oriented along the stream rather than across it. (If that makes any sense...it is difficult to describe.) You might do a couple of quick study sketches to see the effects of different turbulance pattern directions before you finalize this.